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It could come with rack eyelets, but I'm just nitpicking...

I use this primarily as a road bike, therefore I cannot give a review of its off-road capabilities. Having said that, this bike flies! It is quite simply the fastest bike I've ever owned, and believe me, I've owned quite a few. I ride primarily steel bikes, but seeing the frame on sale for $385 at Adrenaline Bikes last year, how could I pass it up? Yes, it's not as comfortable as a steel bike (especially since I ride a puny 14", which makes it realy stiff), but it comes close. The speed more than makes up for it. As the cliche goes, this bike climbs like a goat. I don't know how those guys at Golden, Colorado do it, but this bike is pure magic. BTW, anybody who rides a Yeti other than their signature Turquoise color should have his ass whooped. Just kidding!

Five flamin' turds!

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Kona Kileaua, Specialized Stumpjumper, Jamis Diablo to name a few...

Excellent bike which is stiff. Has great acceleration abilities. Tight cornering abilities and almost rides like an expensive steel frame. Very lively indeed!

The frameset is a little on the heavy side and finish (paint lustre) could be improved.

Very nice bike to ride. Overall, it feels more solid and stiffer than my previous Principia. I highly recommend this bike to any rider(s) thinking of getting serious into the sport and want a good race ready bike!

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Principia MSL Pro

Great high speed hard-tail.

Not hte best in technical situations.

Everyone describes this bike as "fast." I really wondered what that meant. After building out a 98 ARC with 2001 parts this spring, I found out...

This bike is great at high speeds. Both open fire roads and windy single track taken at speed are fun and fast. The bike holds a straight line better than any bike I've ridden and goes exactly where you point it.

However at lower speeds it's less good (not saying bad - in fact better than most). On tight, slow, technical trails it's not the bike to be on. I'm 6'0" and have a 19" bike, and it feels too big in technical situations - I'd like to try a smaller frame and see if this trait goes away.

Compared to my Bontrager Race Lite, the ARC does not climb quite as well (but close), or handle technical sections as well. However the ARC is far superior when the speeds get higher, or when it gets steep.

Great bike!

If I could find a bike that rode up hills like the Bontrager, and down hills like the Yeti, I'd never ride anything else.

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Bontrager Race Lite, KHS Montana Pro, Bridgestone MB-1

+ Shape
+ Team colors
+ Different
+ Spirit

- Paint
- Cable routing
- Welding

This bike is one of the best looking bike I've had. It is light and ride superbly well. It is on par with the trek and the cannondale. You feel like riding history. I won't tell you it is better than anything else, it is just different and rare. I like it.

Now the bad things :
- The paint is really bad. Just one hit of the chain, of a little rock or of the disk when taking the back wheel off and you get a chip off. I have the bike since a month and can count at least 10 chips of paint.
- The back disk hose routing is stupid. It is under the top tube and miss a middle routing. You can't carry the bike on your shoulder...
- The back disk tab is not welded straight on my frame. I am obliged to use avid's system to have the caliper straigh over the disk...

So go for that frame but don't expect YETI's old time quality.

Similar Products Used:

Trek 9.9, Cannondale f2000SL

Beautiful (Turquoise is the only way to go!)
Made in Colorado
Welds are amazing
Fairly light
Rides unlike any Aluminum ever made -perfect flex (the least harshest aluminum ever made)
Simple design (or one that hasn't really changed in years
It is so damn versatile (best hardtail downhiller I've ridden)
The ladies just absolutely love it...as well they should.

Cannot think of anything but price...but if you are worried about price and looking at a Yeti, you have other issues to deal with...

Let me preface by saying that I an not super hardcore...I don't use titanium or Carbon parts...but I do like QUALITY that will last me a decade, if not longer. So, in saying that, this is a Yeti, arguably the coolest bike ever created. Its not the most expensive (although it will hurt the wallet) nor is it the most tricked out, but that is what makes this bike so special. It hasn't changed much over the years because it just works...and works better than anyhting else. Sure, I looked at this bike at first because of the name (I used to drool over the posers with the Yeti's in College), but since switching to the Yeti (after much debate as I used to love the Cannondales...what a loser I feel like now!), I don't think that I will ever own another hardtail (and I am a HUGE hardtail fan...I love simplicity that works!) Bottom Line...if you are a diehard hardtail fan, and there are some of you out there like me (and you think FS is for pussies)and want the absolute best, then the only choice is a Yeti. Period.

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Fisher Paragon, Cannondale M-1000

It does what you want it to. Move and it moves with you. Holds corners well, even through bumps. Even feel front-to-back. Very stable, but still moves nicely through tight stuff. Light weight, forgiving ride, yet still gets the power to the ground.

I have no complaints, other than I wish they'd offer the same bike in one of the nice new steel offerings.

I've had about 20 mountainbikes in my time, so I've put time in on lots of different bikes. I like the durability and ride feel of custom steel, but this bike is a rival to steel! I got it as a close-out on 2002 models for real cheap, so I couldn't resist. The ARC handles fast-paced XC riding perfectly. I wouldn't huck a 10 foot drop with it, but that's not what it's for. You want to go fast? This bike will work with you. Even after 4 or 5 hours, I still feel good on this bike because it doesn't beat the crap out of you like some alumiNUMB does. It has a nice "snap" when taking off as the power goes right to the rear wheel. Climbing can be done 2 ways.. rocket up a hill and pedal your ass off, or shift into granny and move up on the seat and grind away. Downhills are a positive experience, as I don't get bounced around and can keep my speed up. It responds well to body english, especially if you keep your knees in close to the top tube around corners.
If you use V-brakes, I'd reccommend a rear brake booster, as the chainstays will flex a little with the brakes on, making them feel mushy. I have discs, and they feel solid. It's nice to see different size headtubes in proportion to the rest of the frame size. Most companies use one size headtube for all size frames, which makes spacers and/or riser stems neccessary for bigger sizes. I have a 20" and can run a flat 90 degree stem right off the headset which makes for the best handling.
The bike feels very even and stable in the air or over uneven terrain.
Yeti customer service is always good to me. They always come through if there's a problem, which is rare.
Buy this bike if your style is riding hard over typical cross-country terrain. You will not be dissappointed, and you'll find out just how good of a rider you can be!

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'96 Yeti Sherpa (steel), '03 Yeti FRO (Easton Elite), a few full-suspension bikes, many many many hardtails.

Way faster than most people can appreciate. I dare to say that there isn’t a faster single-track bike out there! It really does ride like an extension of yourself. This bike tacks where every you point it. Handcrafted workmanship (pre-Schwinn) with the TRUE classic paint scheme of turquoise/yellow is a bike that will go down in mtb history! Race-proven design that has remained relatively unchanged since the beginning of time! The most straight-laced, very fast-forward, simple, proven, not to mention incredibly sexy, mtb I will ever own! Did I forget to mention that it also comes with a legendary race heritage that everyone seems to know about, but only few own!!! That equals STYLE, if you are willing to prove it on the trail.

PLEASE, you have got to be joking! This is a YETI!

Fastest hard-tail on the trail, period! If you're whining about price, your priorities are all "F'd"-up and this bike is not for you! A Yeti is not about a "bargain" or "deal". I’m not going to say that this bike will make you a “better/faster rider” right out of the box, but it will open your eyes to the “possibility” of taking you to the next level and introduce you to the true definitions of “speed”, and “pure”! If you understand “Zen”, you understand this bike. If you don’t understand “Zen”, then this bike will get you as close to it as you ever will.

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GT Zaskar LE, Trek 9900

True to the al. ARC with a rectangular tt, oversize (1.75")d.tube and loop stays with the most incredible drop-out known to man. Rides like a Yeti A JOHN PARKER YETI not a Schwinn Yeti.

small 1.25" seattube, cheap lookin' seat collar.

I've been blessed with the opportunity to own alot of top end titanium bikes and various other high-end rides and my Yeti holds it's own. I always thought that Yeti was on it's own level on the race scene and thought a ti would be the ultimate bike I was right. This bike is designed to go FAST it climbs fast, descends fast and even looks fast. The oversize (1.5" tt 1.75" downtube ) front triangle gives the bike it's distinctive Yeti look and adds considerable stiffness to the frame. It tracks beautifully and responds w/o flex on the drivetrain. The rear loopstays (in this case two pieces with the dropout connecting them) is also a Yeti trademark and gives your A** a welcome amount of cushion. Climbs like a beast. The dropouts are extensively machined and are simply works of art. Built in disc mounts and the only thing close is the dropout on an Ibis Bow-ti. Bottom line is there is another player on the ti scene and it's just what you would expect from a player with this kind of legacy in the sport.

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Merlin XLM, Fat Chance ti, Litespeed Owl hollow, DBR Axis tt, Seven Sola

Descends great for a hard tail. Climbs great too! Also has nice long top-tube. Very comfortable ride for an AL frame. Very good customer service.

Pain to route rear V-brake cable, because cables are routed along the RIGHT side of the top-tube. Also, when I picked up the frame, I had to empty 3 tablespoons of metal filings from the seat tube. Also, a bit on the pricey side. (After all, it IS a Yeti)...

It was with much angst that I had to say goodbye to my trusty RaceLite after 6 years, but I have found a worthy replacement. Finally built it up, and went on a few rides. The verdict? This thing absolutly rocks. Very confidence inspiring ride. The faster you go, the better it feels. If you're looking for a hardtail, and can part with the cabbage, get one of these.

I also have give kudos to the Customer Service folks at Yeti. When the SuperGo guys were half-steppin' on my order (checking availiability for the frameset, ordering, etc.), I called Yeti myself and they were very helpful in expiditing my order. They even gave me the tracking number, so I knew when the frame arrived at the shop.

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Yeti FRO, Bontrager RaceLite, GT Zaskar

It's light, it's strong, it's beautifull, it's....a Yeti !
Nice new 2001 painting.

I don't yet but the future will tell.

My Schwinn Yeti broke at the disc Brake mount, I sent it back and was directly told that it would be a warranty case altough Yeti changed from hands again.
This is something strange, but again this is Yeti.
I wanna personally thank Mark Pearce from Evolution Imports in the UK, who is doing Yeti for ages and it shows and I wanna thank everybody at Yeti for their service.
Yeti is and was Yeti !

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GT zaskars, Fat Chance Yo Eddy, Yeti ARC John Parker, Yeti ARC Schwinn.